Corpus A&M first in US to offer sleep pod for students

By Craig Hlavaty |
March 10, 2014

Environmental Factors & Sleep

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CAFFEINE
Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. Caffeine has a half-life of six hours in your body; six hours after your last sip, half of it is still in your body. Limit yourself to 300 mg (about three cups of coffee) per day, all before 2 p.m.

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ALCOHOL
Avoid alcohol three hours before bed. Alcohol can cause you to wake up in REM sleep every 90 minutes. And never take sleeping pills with alcohol.

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SMOKING
Quit smoking. Nicotine is a stronger stimulant than caffeine. It can worsen snoring and may cause life-threatening sleep apnea.

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MATTRESS
If your mattress is about 10 years old, it's time to replace it. It doesn't matter whether it's soft or firm as long as it supports your contact points, especially your back. For an innerspring mattress, a higher coil count is better. If you share a bed, you'll need a queen- or king-size model.
Related:Waking up in pain? It might be your mattress | Guide to choosing a new mattress(sponsored)

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EXERCISE
Exercise between 5 and 7 p.m. This is the magical time when exercise's biological benefits can help you get better sleep. For good sleep, get at least 20 minutes of exercise five days a week - but never within three hours of going to bed.

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REST
If you are tired during the day, take a nap, but limit it to 15 to 20 minutes.

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STAY ACTIVE
Stay active. People who work, socialize and have hobbies stay more mentally healthy and find it easier to sleep.

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ELECTRONICS
If you have to use electronics within an hour of going to bed, wear light-blocking glasses to ensure better sleep.

LIST
If stress is part of your problem, make a "worry list" every night. Writing down worries or problems can actually help you let go of them and get to sleep.

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STRETCH
Three yoga stretches that can help you relax are the "child's pose," "table pose" and "corpse pose."

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SLEEP ESSENTIALS
Determine your personal sleep quotient: To arrive at how much sleep you need each night, aim for eight hours of sleep. If you get eight hours of sleep but you still feel tired, add 15 to 30 minutes to your sleep each night for a week. Keep adding time until you are able to wake up feeling rested. (Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep.)

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SLEEP ESSENTIALS
Set a schedule: Go to sleep at the same time every night. Regularity is key to stabilizing your biological clock and, over time, can help you get by on a little less sleep.

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SLEEP ESSENTIALS
An uninterrupted block: Get the sleep you need in a continuous block of time.

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SLEEP ESSENTIALS
Pay attention to makeup sleep: Your wake-sleep ration should be 2:1; for every two hours you are awake you need one hour of sleep. If you get less than that, make up for it by going to bed earlier the next night. (Sleeping later or catching up on the weekend won't work.)

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Bad skin

If you think staying up to get a few more things done is paying off, think again. Your body is paying the price in multiple ways, and a new study suggests your sleepless nights are making you look older.

Here are a few other reasons you may want to go to bed on time tonight.

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Poor driving

People tested in a driving simulation or hand-eye coordination task perform as badly or worse as those who are intoxicated, according to this National Institutes of Health report. Caffeine and other stimulants are not enough to overcome the impacts of severe sleep deprivation, the NIH says.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi says it is the first college in the country to offer a sleep pod to students in need of a quick nap.

Students must make reservations, generally the day before, to schedule the pod for up to an hour.

Dr. Jackie Hamilton, recreational sports director with the campus' Dugan Wellness Center, said that the decision to bring the pod on campus was made in the interest of having healthy and attentive students.

"Lack of sleep is the No. 2 impediment to academic success," Hamilton said on Monday. "This is a little more comfortable than just sleeping anywhere."

The No. 1 impediment to academic success is stress, said Hamilton.

Hamilton said some of the college's students confessed to getting extra shut eye in their cars, on benches or in chairs on campus.

"So far we’ve had four or five people use it each day," she said. "Keep in mind that we’ve had it just less than two weeks, so we’re still getting the word out."

The pod was inspired by the national Healthy Campus 2020 initiative, which aims to make students healthier and safer across the county. Sleep awareness is a big part of the initiative.

The funding for the $4,000 sleep pod came from the recreational sports budget, Hamilton said.

If you are worried about cleanliness, Hamilton said they have that covered.

"We have a stack of sheets, so each person gets a fresh sheet and there are antibacterial wipes to sanitize it before you use it," she said.

There is only one person allowed in the pod at a time.

Hamilton said she crawled into the pod when it first arrived, but she hasn't tried a nap just yet. No faculty or staff have ventured inside yet, as far as she knows.

Pods such as this are popular in train stations and airports in Europe and Asia, she said.

Now, can we get them to come to Houston colleges?

So far Michael Garrity with the University of Houston says there are no plans to bring a sleep pod to campuses here, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't catch on later.